BY LIZ KEEGAN AND GG LUKE

Health insurance is just a dream for more than 10% of Idahoans.

Going to the doctor, getting preventive care or necessary medical procedures, is never a given. For many more Idahoans, medical debt is a burden that impacts the ability to get a mortgage, a car loan, or pay off credit card debt.

We have an opportunity to help our friends and neighbors relieve their medical debt. A four-star non-profit--RIP Medical Debt--has helped more than 5.5 million individuals abolish their medical debt.

Recently, RIP obtained a $79 million portfolio of Idaho medical debt that can be relieved for $518,000 or $152 of relief for each dollar donated. This means that 29,165 Idahoans can get medical debt relief. That’s one out of every 65 Idahoans and approximately one out of every 76 Blaine County residents.

RIP Medical Debt engages individuals, faith groups, businesses and philanthropists to raise funds to abolish medical debt. We have a goal of raising $10,000.

A $10 donation abolishes $1,520 in debt. A donation of $100 abolishes $15,200. We are asking our community to step up and help those who struggle with medical debt.

Please consider a donation on our fundraising page: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/campaigns/idaho-friends-and-neighbors/. Or, mail a check to: RIP Medical Debt, 28-07 Jackson Ave, 5th Fl, Long Island City, NY 11101. Note on the check that it’s for “Idaho Friends and Neighbors.” People may also visit https://ripmedicaldebt.org, click on campaigns and type in Idaho.

For assistance navigating the process, email lizkeegan@yahoo.com.

TO LEARN MORE

RIP Medical Debt was featured on CBS Sunday Morning on April 16. The recording is available on the CBS News website.

Medical Debt is the No. 1 reason people file for bankruptcy. More than 100 million Americans struggle to pay for medical debt. Since 2014, RIP Medical Debt has relieved $8.5 billion In medical debt for 5.5 million individuals.

How do they relieve medical debt? The staff at RIP negotiates with hospitals to purchase debt at a steep discount. This $79 million debt portfolio in Idaho can be relieved for people making four times or less than the federal poverty level or for those whose debt is more than 5% of their annual income.

The average debt per individual is $2,712. With an $18 donation, one person’s debt can be relieved. With a $100 donation, $15,200 in debt will be relieved.